The Basketball Thread

[Reddish-Blue 2,347]

IF ANYONE CARES?! I watched that first game and am watching the Kansas vs Duke.

Dude College basketball is the place to be right now, with soo much talent coming through the ranks. Naturally i want Kentucky to win, always have that swagger with a starting 5 of one and dones haha and i always liked John Capilarry.

On NBA terms....those Pacers keep on rolling with that stifling Defense Frank Vogel has them playing. Lance Stephenson has been playing lights out for them, and really making a case for Indiana to just trade Granger or relegate him to the bench when he comes back. Won all 8 games without having cracked 100 points yet this season. (the other team to do this is Utah Jazz and their 0-8) Damn.

My OKC seem to be alright, almost had a shocker with Washington the other day. I feel like they need to pickup one more scorer. Why they let Kevin Martin (who is tearing it up right now in Minnesota) leave is beyond me. Jeremy Lamb is decent, but at least we got 2 1st round picks so we should be able to trade one those for a pretty high value player considering this year's draft is as deep as ever.

Martin wanted more recognition and a bit more freedom in terms of his role on the team (Minnesota interview)

As for the Pacers..damn, two words: Paul George

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

My OKC seem to be alright, almost had a shocker with Washington the other day. I feel like they need to pickup one more scorer. Why they let Kevin Martin (who is tearing it up right now in Minnesota) leave is beyond me. Jeremy Lamb is decent, but at least we got 2 1st round picks so we should be able to trade one those for a pretty high value player considering this year's draft is as deep as ever.

OKC will be fine if Scott Brooks doesn't screw them up. They really need a new coach. His rotations have killed them and his love of Perkins who is maybe the most overrated player in the NBA, is absurd. They should never have let Harden go, but Martin doesn't bother me. He's a one-dimensional player and scorers can actually be replaced fairly easily.

[Korea 734]

The Lakers are positioning themselves to make a run at Carmelo Anthony this summer or better yet target 2014's free agency pool with LBJ and others all being free agents. Playing the free agency game is a slippery slope, (just look at Dallas), they thought Deron Williams was on his way there 2 years ago and when he resigned it effectively stopped any chance D12 coming so they ended with neither target. The appeal of L.A. i don't think will be that great for any SG/SF (especially Melo) with Kobe taking all the shots and not looking to retire anytime soon. Imo they will have to try and get 2 7-footers again like they had with Gasol and Bynum or maybe target one big man and a PG. Idk or really care much for lakers but that's how i see it.

Dallas isnt LA.

The appeal for LA is pretty simple for Melo. Take over kobe's mantle and make his wife happy. Lakers wont get 2 7footers. Than are playing mike d spread offense, which is essentially a stretch 4.

Melo might not come to la next season, but I can guarantee a big name will within the next 2.. KD, Westbrook, Love or Irving.

??? Thompson is a 2 guard who shoots a lot. Kobe is a 2 guard who plays constantly with the ball in his hands and loves to shoot. It's a terrible fit. What the Lakers need is well...pretty much everything except SG and C. They just are not a very good team and have no depth. People will talk about them because they are the Lakers, but I'd be very surprised if they make the playoffs.

@Blue-in-me-veins

No team with Carmelo will ever win anything. He is a classic example of how the NBA creates stars who aren't actually very valuable. He is an absolutely abysmal team player. He goes iso constantly, slowing down the offense to a crawl. He is a great scorer, but a terrible team player. It's funny because what the NBA markets and what actually wins are often at odds. It's the league of the megastar where the most successful team is the Spurs who play unselfish, team-first basketball.

You know who the coach of the Lakers is right? MIKE D.

Kobe is essentially the pg of the team, nash the 2 guard. Eventually, kobe will move to sf and klay can play both sg/sf for mike d offense... Kobe and klay are perfect. Kobe hasnt had a good athletic shooter in years....

Also, Melo is a fantastic player. He won NCAA champ as a freshman and won Olympic gold. However, Melo is getting a tad bit sticky with the ball at times,but, if you watch team usa, melo was a stud passing the ball and playing within the offense...

[Korea 734]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWxR2vdEsbM

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

Dallas isnt LA.

The appeal for LA is pretty simple for Melo. Take over kobe's mantle and make his wife happy. Lakers wont get 2 7footers. Than are playing mike d spread offense, which is essentially a stretch 4.

Melo might not come to la next season, but I can guarantee a big name will within the next 2.. KD, Westbrook, Love or Irving.

You know who the coach of the Lakers is right? MIKE D.

Kobe is essentially the pg of the team, nash the 2 guard. Eventually, kobe will move to sf and klay can play both sg/sf for mike d offense... Kobe and klay are perfect. Kobe hasnt had a good athletic shooter in years....

Also, Melo is a fantastic player. He won NCAA champ as a freshman and won Olympic gold. However, Melo is getting a tad bit sticky with the ball at times,but, if you watch team usa, melo was a stud passing the ball and playing within the offense...

Melo is a fantastic scorer. It's a different thing. He is a ball hog and ball hogs don't win championships in the NBA. Even top scorers have to feed other players when they get double-teamed not force up shots no matter what. Kobe has always been a ball hog too, but 1) He was an elite defender. Carmelo is a bad defender 2) Kobe averaged 5+ assists a game. He always took too many shots, but he still knew he had to distribute for team success. Carmelo is 3 APG guy which is nothing. Carmelo's teams have gotten knocked out of the first round in the playoffs in 8 of 9 years. Denver was actually a better team when he left. Elite players make their teammates better. Carmelo makes them worse. His success is based entirely on taking tons of shots. If he ever went to a team where he had be responsible, he's be almost useless because all he can do is score. Literally, he doesn't defend well, doesn't rebound well, isn't a good passer, etc.. This is why he will never win. (And scoring is absurdly overrated in the NBA. There are tons of players if given 20 shots a game would become elite scorers and therefore stars).

And Kobe is not a PG even in D'antoni's offence. The issue is not who carries the ball up or holds the ball at the top of the point (or triangle), the issue is who takes the shots and from what positions Kobe hasn't taken fewer than 20 shots a game in 10 years. Shots that Klay Thompson takes in Golden State are not available with Kobe around. You need to balance him with an inside threat who can kick out or another guard who can feed him, not another perimeter shooter, When was the last time Kobe played with a player like Thompson? I think never is the answer and there's a reason.

[Reddish-Blue 2,347]

Melo is a fantastic scorer. It's a different thing. He is a ball hog and ball hogs don't win championships in the NBA. Even top scorers have to feed other players when they get double-teamed not force up shots no matter what. Kobe has always been a ball hog too, but 1) He was an elite defender. Carmelo is a bad defender 2) Kobe averaged 5+ assists a game. He always took too many shots, but he still knew he had to distribute for team success. Carmelo is 3 APG guy which is nothing. Carmelo's teams have gotten knocked out of the first round in the playoffs in 8 of 9 years. Denver was actually a better team when he left. Elite players make their teammates better. Carmelo makes them worse. His success is based entirely on taking tons of shots. If he ever went to a team where he had be responsible, he's be almost useless because all he can do is score. Literally, he doesn't defend well, doesn't rebound well, isn't a good passer, etc.. This is why he will never win. (And scoring is absurdly overrated in the NBA. There are tons of players if given 20 shots a game would become elite scorers and therefore stars).

And Kobe is not a PG even in D'antoni's offence. The issue is not who carries the ball up or holds the ball at the top of the point (or triangle), the issue is who takes the shots and from what positions Kobe hasn't taken fewer than 20 shots a game in 10 years. Shots that Klay Thompson takes in Golden State are not available with Kobe around. You need to balance him with an inside threat who can kick out or another guard who can feed him, not another perimeter shooter, When was the last time Kobe played with a player like Thompson? I think never is the answer and there's a reason.

Well said.

To win championships, you either have to be dominant against your direct opponent (e.g. Shaq), an efficient shooter (Steve Kerr, Allen) or just a good team player.

Melo is an inefficient shooter. Good player without a doubt..but he's got no chance of winning a championship.

[Korea 734]

Melo is a fantastic scorer. It's a different thing. He is a ball hog and ball hogs don't win championships in the NBA. Even top scorers have to feed other players when they get double-teamed not force up shots no matter what. Kobe has always been a ball hog too, but 1) He was an elite defender. Carmelo is a bad defender 2) Kobe averaged 5+ assists a game. He always took too many shots, but he still knew he had to distribute for team success. Carmelo is 3 APG guy which is nothing. Carmelo's teams have gotten knocked out of the first round in the playoffs in 8 of 9 years. Denver was actually a better team when he left. Elite players make their teammates better. Carmelo makes them worse. His success is based entirely on taking tons of shots. If he ever went to a team where he had be responsible, he's be almost useless because all he can do is score. Literally, he doesn't defend well, doesn't rebound well, isn't a good passer, etc.. This is why he will never win. (And scoring is absurdly overrated in the NBA. There are tons of players if given 20 shots a game would become elite scorers and therefore stars).

And Kobe is not a PG even in D'antoni's offence. The issue is not who carries the ball up or holds the ball at the top of the point (or triangle), the issue is who takes the shots and from what positions Kobe hasn't taken fewer than 20 shots a game in 10 years. Shots that Klay Thompson takes in Golden State are not available with Kobe around. You need to balance him with an inside threat who can kick out or another guard who can feed him, not another perimeter shooter, When was the last time Kobe played with a player like Thompson? I think never is the answer and there's a reason.

Ball hogs win plenty of championships.

Look at Jordan, Kobe, DIrk and Lebron.

Actually, Melo is the best scorer in the league and the most fundamental basketball player on the offensive side since Kobe.

You must of not watch the lakers, Kobe bryant is the pg of the lakers. Their a reason why he started to pull up 10 assists a game and why Nash has become a spot of shooter for the team...

You prob forgot Eddie Jones, Glen Rice, Caron Butler, Trevor Ariza, brian shaw, devean george, and rick fox...

Well said.

To win championships, you either have to be dominant against your direct opponent (e.g. Shaq), an efficient shooter (Steve Kerr, Allen) or just a good team player.

Melo is an inefficient shooter. Good player without a doubt..but he's got no chance of winning a championship.

Melo is the best scorer in the league. Post game, midrange, long range, Melo is fundamental sound in every offensive aspect of the game.

The Knicks aren't that good offensively. They have a coach in woodson that doesnt know offensive basketball, which is why he was the defensive coach during mike d reign.

Last season, Knicks as a team were good. They just were too old to keep up with the league...

Also, Kobe was always labeled an "inefficient shooter" and still won 5 rings...

[Blue-in-me-Veins 4,067]

Dallas isnt LA.

The appeal for LA is pretty simple for Melo. Take over kobe's mantle and make his wife happy. Lakers wont get 2 7footers. Than are playing mike d spread offense, which is essentially a stretch 4.

Melo might not come to la next season, but I can guarantee a big name will within the next 2.. KD, Westbrook, Love or Irving.

Well LA got shown up by D12 who they thought they'd have in the bag but he went off to Houston. (yes there were other issues During the season that affected his decision but before they went into the season and even after they still though D12 was there man.)What im trying to show is that Free Agency is nothing but luck. If one player isn't feeling your team for whatever reason, then you can expect another player to ditch your team as players now a days are talking to each other and planning where they can team up.

Replacing Kobe won't be that easy. Melo is a shoot first, shoot second and shoot third type player who can't exist for Kobe for obvious bball reasons. Kobe is a competitor in every sense of the word, and there's no way he's gonna step aside like D-Wade and let another player be the "main guy" of the team.

Will a big name arrive in LA, i definately agree. There's no way in hell they'll remain a border-line playoff team for 3/4 years. Kobe has in my eyes 2 more (at most) solid seasons and he will make sure they make a major trade or something as his window comes to a close of getting one more championship.

[Reddish-Blue 2,347]

Half time between the Bulls and Pacers.

Bulls lead 60 - 35...Pacers about to lose their perfect 9-0 record start to the season.

[Korea 734]

Kobe. the last chapter..

Back in practice. COMEBACK FRIDAY?

[Ainsley Harriott 2,732]

Derrick Rose has a torn meniscus

[Alan Partridge 1,124]

DR having terrible luck with injuries

[Korea 734]

D Rose is bound to get injured.

His reckless playstyle is begging for an injury.

D rose without elite athleticism= avg nba player.

[Korea 734]

D Rose out for the season again.

Kobe Bean Bryant, 2 year extension for 48M.

[Korea 734]

[Laoch20 22]

I know it happened a few mighty ago but the Bulls put the Heat to the sword last night which put a great big smile on my face.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Amblève. 4,995]

Kobe has a trailer. I'm so done.

[Korea 734]

Return of Kobe in 4 hrs!.